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to your advantage.
Benefit from JLegal’s years of
experience and personalised approach.
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Tell us about your role.
I have a varied portfolio which
makes for a very interesting
work day. The matters I lead
are characterised as complex to
entrepreneurial in the sense that
sometimes we’ve not tackled
such projects before. Greenfield
business and policy development
immediately come to mind. For
the cross-border or multiple
jurisdiction matters I handle, there
can be new law or even cultural
business issues to learn and
understand. I also head the legal
team that manages our brand
globally.
What are some important
qualities required of your role?
Something I’ve shared with my
mentees is the importance of
being “BRIGHT,” an acronym for
being Brave, Resilient, Insightful,
Gracious, Happy and Thoughtful.
Brave: You need to possess
courage to always act ethically,
objectively and independently,
sometimes making hard decisions.
Resilient: To bounce back from
long hours and sometimes
stressful or adverse circumstances,
including litigation or negotiations
not always going your way.
Insightful: Be perceptive and
understanding of the nature of
the business and in-house clients
that you serve, and the wider
environment around you.
Gracious: Tact, propriety and
courtesy regardless of the
situation are the hallmarks of a
great lawyer and leader.
Happy: Your mood can affect your
colleagues and clients, and you
will always do a better job if you
are happy.
Thoughtful: Make haste slowly,
taking sufficient time to find the
optimal solution.
What are some of the highlights
of your career?
I started my legal career as the
first female associate to the
Honourable Justice Michael Kirby
AC CMG, an eminent jurist. Then,
I was the first IP Counsel for
IBM in Australia, which involved
establishing the IP function and
managing IBM’s Australasian
IP portfolio at a time when
major industry issues such as
the interoperability of computer
software were being debated and
legislated. Before relocating to
Asia, I was a partner with Ernst &
Young, Australia and also worked
with Baker & McKenzie and Gilbert
& Tobin.
How in-house counsel make
themselves an indispensable
part of the organisation?
One of the most rewarding
aspects of in-house practice which
can distinguish your expertise
over external counsel is to take
the opportunity to understand
the commercial and strategic
objectives and operation of
your business. This enables you
to provide the most effective,
commercially sound legal
advice. Another highly valued
attribute is to minimise legal
jargon and communicate in a
manner your client understands.
Once you become a trusted
adviser, your clients will turn to
you more frequently for legal,
and sometimes even broader
commercial or strategic advice.
You can then anticipate or better
still, head off certain issues so they
don’t even arise.
Sponsored by
‘The importance of being BRIGHT’
GC INTERVIEW
SHARYN CH’ANG
Position:
Director, Global Office of the
General Counsel
Company:
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Location:
Hong Kong